Jackpot
by kuilaoshi
Summary: [Alternate Universe - Casino] Its all about your luck.
1. Hit the Slots

"A job at the casino?" Mito stirs her coffee worriedly, parroting what Gon had suggested back to him.

"Uh-huh! They pay waiters really well there, and 12 is the minimum age! I'll be fine, Mito-san, really!" Gon says cheerily, trying to reassure his worrying aunt. They did need the money, what with her grandmother's medical bill climbing every week...

"Haven't you heard the rumors, Gon? That the Phantom Troupe works with them?"

"Yeah, but...I'll be fine!" he chirps. "Don't worry about me, worry about Grandma, okay?"

Mito shoots him a very wary look; the promise of more money was nice, for sure, but Gon's safety was at hand, especially with the threat of having to deal with one of the most infamous sections of the mafia hanging overhead. "Fine, but you have to pinky promise that you won't get hurt!" she offers with a sly smile, holding her little finger out to Gon. Gon happily obliges, hooking his with hers.

"If I lie if have to swallow a thousand needles..." Gon presses their thumbs together, "And sealed with a kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss!" He smiles cheekily. Mito smiles back, but her eyes are solemn.

The excitement of the casino's enough to overwhelm Gon upon his entry; bright lights flash into his eyes, mingling with the smell of alcohol and the din of rattling slots and laughter. He weaves through the crowd like an excited puppy, beaming at everything he passes, until he makes it up to the reception area. He stands up as high as he can, balancing on the tips of his toes as he rings the bell on top of the large mahogany desk. A few moments later, a man with red hair and harlequinesque face paint emerges from the back and approaches the desk, peering over it to look at the small green-clad boy below.

"Hm? What do we have here? " he muses, a smirk playing on his pale lips.

Gon feels a pang of anxiety shoot through him. "I-I'm Gon Freecss! And I'd like to apply for the waiter position!" he blurts out; the resulting sentence sounds awkward as hell when he stops to think about it, but he chooses to ignore it.

The man raises an eyebrow. "Hm? Ah, good, we needed one more. " He opens the small door that leads to behind the desk and gestures to Gon. "Come to the back, we'll have you fitted. " Gon happily follows, trotting behind the man like a puppy: excited and blind to whatever this entailed.

"How nice, a boy your age just started working here a month ago, I'm sure he'd be delighted to have a friend~ " The sound of heels clacking on the flawless white floor was the only sound between them; Gon could practically hear his own heartbeat. He was accepted this easily? What luck!

After a stretch of silence, they reach the door to the fitting room. The red-haired man pauses. "Oh, how rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself yet." He whirls around and bows in one swift motion, offering the top hat he was wearing to the boy. "I am Hisoka, the owner of this casino. The pleasure is all mine. "

Gon can't help but feel a bit flustered as Hisoka gingerly takes his small hand, softly kissing his fingers before straightening up and swinging around to the door. "Now, then. " He murmurs, opening the old door with one gloved hand.

The dark storage room envelops the pair; Hisoka goes on ahead to rummage through a box. "You're roughly the same size as that boy, give or take a few inches. " His face scrunched into a frustrated frown. "That's strange. That white haired boy must have taken the last small size...unless you'd like the feminine uniform. I don't like to gender my outfits, but guessing by your age you wouldn't be too thrilled to walk around in feminine clothing... " He taps his chin.

"I don't care! As long as my legs are free, I'm fine!" Gon chirps, and Hisoka raises an eyebrow. Now this was unexpected. Obeying the boy's request, he waltzes over to the box with the feminine uniforms and cracks it open, a bit of dust flying into the air as he does so. "I have plenty of smalls, and most of my female employees opt for the masculine uniform, so you're in luck~ " He pulls out a package with a skimpy bunny outfit, the stereotypical image of something you'd see someone wearing in a casino. He tosses it to Gon, who catches it with lighting speed.

"Oh? Heels too, huh..." He studies the package. Along with the aforementioned black heels, which were adorned with red spades, the package also contained fishnet tights, black and red gloves with various suits adorning the ends, a heart choker, and a matching bunny eared headband.

"Do you not like them? " Hisoka leans down to meet Gon's eyes. "I could fetch you something else, if you like. "

Gon furiously shakes his head, actually messing up his hair in the process. "No! This is fine!"

"... ." Hisoka grins, extending a finger to point to a door off to the side of the small room. "There's the changing room. I'll be waiting outside. "

The man takes his leave, and Gon practically leaps into the changing room.

Zipping up the one piece outfit, Gon takes a look at himself in the mirror. His legs and arms feel so free; grinning, he takes a minute to revel in it, windmilling his arms and enjoying the lack of restraint. He pulls on the fishnets next, struggling with them a bit before getting them secure around the base of his thigh. Wrapping the choker and buttoning it around his neck, placing the ears on top of his head, pulling on the gloves, and stepping into the heels, he nods at himself in the mirror; his transformation was complete. Everything was a near-perfect fit – even the heels were amply padded to ensure that he didn't get terrible blisters. As he takes a step towards the door, he wobbles a bit, his ankle nearly bending in two. "H-hah, I guess I'm gonna have to get used to this..." he murmurs to himself, gripping the doorknob tightly and managing to open the door without incident.

Hisoka stood waiting patiently against the adjacent wall. "How do I look?" Gon's voice half-squeaked as his new boss's golden eyes raked over his delicate form.

"Absolutely stunning. " The older man strides over to him to get a better look. "It fits you like a glove, I'm glad~ " he purrs, caressing Gon's face and gently tilting his chin upwards.

'Not yet...' Hisoka muses to himself, looking into Gon's wide brown eyes. The temptation was there, but to act now would be such a waste.

Hisoka releases the boy and turns his back to him. "Now, shall we get going? I'll introduce you to your coworkers. " Swiftly, he opens the door back to the narrow white hallway, and motions for Gon to follow.

Once they move out into the main building, the sights and sounds of people laughing and talking overlaid with electronic sound effects and bright lights all make Gon well up with excitement. He trots along next to Hisoka, already getting used to balancing in the heels. People and other waiters rush by as they continue on; one person in particular catches Gon's attention, as he's sitting on a bar stool, the only thing still among all of this commotion.

"Oh? There you are. " Hisoka simply smiles as the boy turns around. He's got ruffled white hair that spikes out in all directions, and piercing blue eyes currently employed in half a pout. When he notices Gon next to Hisoka, though, his eyes soften into a curious expression and he hops down from his bar stool. "Whatcha got here, Hisoka?"

"Him? He's our new waiter. "

Gon blushes slightly before nodding. "I'm Gon! What's your name?"

The other boy raises an eyebrow at his eagerness. "I'm Killua."

"Wah, that's a cool name!"

Hisoka always did hire the weird ones, Killua thought wryly. But at least Gon looked cute in that outfit.

"I was hoping that you could show him around. " Hisoka lets a smirk play across his lips, eyes locked on Killua's.

Killua pretends to consider this. "Hmmm...Fine, as long as I'm still getting paid."

"Sure. "

As Hisoka turns to leave, Killua breaks out into a grin and takes one of Gon's gloved hands. "C'mon! This is gonna be fun! Make sure you can keep up in heels!"

Gon doesn't hesitate. "Let's go!"

The boys race down the aisles of slot machines and tables; Gon stumbles and nearly falls onto his face a few times, but still keeps up to Killua's breakneck pace, both of them flying down the red and black carpet.

"Oi, Killua, what do you think you're doing?" a voice calls out; Killua slows to a stop as a blond boy in the same black-and-white uniform as him approaches.

"Yo, Kurapika." He twirls around to face the other boy just as Gon catches up to the both of them. "Oh yeah – Kurapika, this is Gon. He's new here," Killua mentions, grabbing Gon's arm.

Kurapika smiles warmly. "Nice to meet you, Gon. I'm Kurapika. I run the blackjack table over there," he says, motioning to it with a white-gloved hand. "If you ever have trouble with anyone in here, call me, alright?"

Killua stifles a laugh. "He's like a mom to everyone around here. He'll have your back in a pinch."

Kurapika side-eyes the white haired boy before smiling again. He didn't seem too fazed by the outfit Gon had on; working here, he'd probably seen worse.

"Oh, I should get back to my table. Have fun, you two!" He heads back towards the table he'd left behind, stumbling on a snag in the carpet as he does so; Gon wants to stay and make sure he doesn't fall again, but Killua tugs on his ear sharply and effectively tears him away from that.

"O-ow!" Gon cries, dashing to keep up with Killua. "What was that for?"

"Just to get your attention!" Killua mocks. "You've gotta keep up with me, newbie."

They turn left down a row of slot machines quieter than the rest; the neon lights aren't flashing, and no patrons line the stools in front of the machines. There's only one machine lit up, and it's currently split open from the looks of things. "Damn, another bad roll. This is definitely broken..." Gon stops in his tracks to see another man in a black-and-white uniform, kneeling down on the floor investigating something inside the machine.

Killua strides over to join Gon and smiles when he sees what caught his attention. "Old man, we have a newbie!" Killua yells, loud enough that the man jumps and smacks his head on the open section of the machine.

"G-guh-" His flowing silver hair covers his face as he gets up and turns to face them. He towers over the two as he sweeps his long hair out of his eyes; his annoyed expression quickly softens into a welcoming one. "Oh? A newbie, huh..." He crouches down to meet Gon's eye level. "I'm Kite. A slot technician. I've been here for years – if you need any help, just come find me." He outstretches his hand to the small boy, who takes it and shakes violently.

"I'm Gon! Nice to meet you!"

Kite's hooded eyes fly wide open. "Gon? As in Gon Freecss?"

Gon nods, a little puzzled by Kite's knowledge of his last name.

"I knew those eyes reminded me of someone. Your father, Ging, was a security guard here. He fought off hordes and hordes of mafia goons all on his own. He saved my life more than once."

Gon's eyes light up. He always thought his dad was just a traveling billionaire – he never suspected something like this. "Wah, really? That's amazing!" Gon bounces on his heels as Kite continues.

"He was certainly a wonderful man. But he couldn't stand unnecessary baggage..." Kite mentions, seemingly offhanded. "He left 8 years ago to travel the world. No one's heard from him since." Kite looks at the carpet, his eyes darkening. "I'm sure he's off in some foreign land having the time of his life," he hurriedly reassures Gon, who's starting to look a little down.

"Yo, old man, we have to get a move on. We want this kid to get started today! Small talk can come later," Killua snaps. Kite blushes slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You boys go on, then."

Gon's smile is wide enough to crack his face in half as he leaps up and hooks his arms around Kite's neck, hugging him as best he could. "Thank you, Kite!"

Kite turns bright red as he returns the hug, holding Gon there. "Ah, anytime." He lets him down, and Gon scurries back to Killua's side once again.

~ ~  
"Alright, last stop: the surveillance room. The old guy in here is really uptight, but he can't do anything to us 'cause we're Hisoka's favorites!" Killua jeers. Gon contemplates this. He's one of Hisoka's favorites already?

Killua throws open the door; the man sitting in front of the screens nearly falls backwards. "Old man, we got a newbie!"

"I already told you, brat, you can't be in he- oh my God." The man's jaw hangs slightly agape as Gon comes into view.

Gon trots over to him, extending a gloved hand. "I'm Gon! What's your name?"

The older man stares incredulously for a few seconds until he comes to, shaking his head and returning the handshake. "Y-yeah, I'm Leorio. Nice to meet you." Gon makes a happy noise in the back of his throat, bouncing a little as he pulls his hand back. "As you can see, I watch everything that goes on in the casino. 'S my job to call security, too. It's not too much, but it's vital what with all the mafia activity in this part of town."

Gon tilts his head. "Mafia activity?" He parrots Leorio's words.

"Don't worry about it, kid. It hasn't happened in months," Leorio says, comforting the boy's worries. "A-anyway, shoo, I need to keep watch. Nice to meet you, Gon. Get the hell out, Killua."

Killua sticks his tongue out at Leorio as he escorts Gon out of the room, slamming the door behind them; there's a large bang followed by a string of curses. Score.

"Soooo," Killua starts as they walk down the long hall that leads to the main room.

"Hmmm?"

"Ya like it here so far?" Killua questions. Gon looks at the ceiling, crinkling his nose in thought.

"I do!" he exclaims, thinking about all the people he's met so far. "I love it."


	2. Lucky or Unlucky?

Stumbling over a snag in the carpet, Gon struggles to balance the trays resting on his upturned palms. He sways and nearly drops them, but miraculously regains his balance; walking in these heels is harder than he'd previously thought.

A voice from far away calls to him, echoing in the emptiness of the casino; Killua's been monitoring his progress since he started, and now it's late enough that the last drunks stumbling around the casino are being escorted out by security. "Careful there, newbie!" It'd been Killua's idea to have Gon walk with weighted glasses on his trays instead of actual liquid – Killua isn't stupid enough to waste alcohol, or even water, in training Gon.

"I'm okay!" Gon crows in reply, turning back to start on the path marked out in neon tape again. He can't help but be a little frustrated, though; one tray's heavier than the other, making this more difficult than it has to be.

"It's all part of the job, newbie," Killua says matter-of-factly as Gon takes a nose dive into the carpet.

Gon sulks back to Killua to start the training all over again. He's usually able to keep his balance in situations like this, but in heels it's a different story. "Okay, try again." Killua nudges Gon with his foot from where he sits on the counter of the bar. Gon promptly topples over, getting a faceful of red and black carpet for the fifth time tonight.

"Killua!" a sharp voice calls; the speaker sounds like an older woman, but Gon isn't sure. Killua jumps at hearing his name, looking a little like a spooked cat.

Gon picks himself up off the ground, glancing over to see a young blonde girl with a gently curling ponytail and a serious expression. She's dressed in a long black and white gown adorned with various card suits, and has a sharp-looking red ribbon around her neck; it's clear she's not part of the waitstaff not only from how she's dressed but by the way she carries herself. Curious, Gon tilts his head.

"Who are you?" he questions.

The girl straightens her posture and puffs out her chest when she notices Gon. "Oh! Killua, shouldn't you introduce us?" she snaps, and Killua groans.

"Okay, okay, old hag," he mutters. The girl pays him no mind. "Gon, this is Biscuit Krueger, our manager. Call her Biske." Gon waves excitedly, brown eyes bright. "Biske, this is Gon. He's the newbie waiter."

Biscuit clasps her hands together in delight. "Nice to meet you, Gon. That outfit looks so precious on you!" She laughs to herself as she scans him: 'Hisoka sure has a thing for hiring spirited young boys, doesn't he?'

"T-thank you!" Gon replies, a little shakily. He's never been complimented on his clothing choice before; the green crop jacket and short shorts he usually wears aren't exactly the most fashionable things on the planet.

"Killua, you're training him to carry weight while wearing heels?" Biscuit taps her chin with a gloved hand. "Hmm. Let me see what you've got."

She smiles slyly as Gon picks up the trays and plastic cups, re-adding the weights that'd fallen out. Killua arranges the cups on both trays and lays them out on Gon's hands; Gon balances them there, waiting for instructions. He's able to keep them perfectly balanced when standing, but when walking...

"Alright, now follow the tape," Biscuit commands, intently watching Gon's movements. Gon obliges, walking forward as he usually does; when he inevitably stumbles on the carpet and falls, Biscuit rises to meet him. "Let's try something." Biscuit helps Gon up and sets his tray up as it was before he took a dive. "Stand up straight. Puff out your chest – act proud! Keep your posture up, and block out all other sounds. It's the best way to move in heels. Just put one foot in front of the other and don't think about anything else," she explains to an attentive Gon.

'Oi,' Killua thinks to himself. 'At least they're getting along.'

Gon does as he's told. 'Hold yourself high, block out all other noises...' The casino seems to fall silent; Gon stares blankly ahead, nearly losing himself in the task at hand. Everything but the neon tape stretching out in front of him seems to disappear, so when he bumps into his destination table it comes as enough of a shock that he nearly falls into it. "U-uwa!" Gon cries, tottering a little, but he regains his balance just in time to catch the applause of not two but three people from behind him.

He whirls around. Killua's still perched on the bar, and Biscuit's sitting on a bar stool in front of him; sometime in the past few minutes Hisoka joined the group, looking regal as he leans nonchalantly against the counter. Gon feels his cheeks heat up as he comes back over – this time he's slightly distracted, but still only stumbles once. He's definitely getting better.

"Killua, Biscuit – you two are done here. Go on with your business. " Hisoka nods to the two of them, a clear sign of dismissal. Killua reluctantly hops off the high bar and waves to Gon; as he disappears into the rows of slot machines, the bright lights seem to consume him. Biscuit bows, flushing as she holds eye contact with Hisoka, and runs off giggling. She's wearing high heels, too, but the graceful way she's gliding in them makes walking look almost effortless.

Waving after the two retreating figures, Gon feels a hand on his shoulder; he turns his head to see Hisoka standing just behind him, smiling slyly. "You're doing well so far, Gon. " One finger gently traces down the line of Gon's collarbone. "I knew you had the skill for it. "

Gon's skin flushes hot under the praise, and he shifts as he looks down to the floor to try and hide his blush. Getting this much attention from Hisoka is something he wants to feel over and over again: he'll make Hisoka proud no matter what it takes.

"Would you like a reward? "

Gon, shocked, whips around to face him and nods furiously. Hisoka chuckles softly. "Well, will this do?" He leans down, long nails delicate against Gon's cheeks, and pulls the boy in for a long, sweet kiss. From someone as frightening as Hisoka, this kind of tenderness was definitely unexpected. Gon's eyes fly open, and then slowly, surely flutter shut. An adult kiss, huh...this is what it felt like? A delighted shudder bubbles outwards from Gon's chest.

When the older man pulls away, he hovers in front of Gon's face for a moment. "Was that good? " he whispers, and with a smirk he straightens back up.

It takes Gon a few seconds to formulate a coherent reply. "Y-yes! I really liked it!" he yaps, almost like an excited puppy, ears perked and tail wagging.

"Good. You'll be getting a lot more of those from now on. " Hisoka says simply, turning on his heel and walking calmly back to his office.

Gon waits until Hisoka's out of earshot before bouncing up and down and giggling in celebration. He feels giddy, almost dizzy – he's nearly thirteen, practically an adult himself, and he feels it now more than ever.

He's jolted out of this state by a loud round of rapid-fire pops somewhere nearby – no, very nearby, he realizes, unsure of what's going on until the window in front of him shatters. Glass litters the floor like diamonds as bullets pour in through the broken window; the screams of the patrons remaining in the casino waver over the rapid-fire clicking of machine guns. Gon flings himself into action; he grabs the arms of a few nearby customers and begins to lead them towards the back of the casino, moving as fast as his heels allow him. "Get down, and don't move until someone gives you the okay! Stay calm, everyone!" he reassures the people when they make it to the wall; some of them are already injured, and Gon knows for a fact that some of the people who lay sprawled out on the floor as his little group passed by were dead.

Dashing back down the aisle, he hears fire from behind him and turns to see Biscuit and Killua; the former holds a large tommy gun, and the latter clutches a pistol. "Gon! Get down!" Killua yells over top of the gunfire, the sulfur and smoke in the air making his words come out choked. His face is pale – it's clear the smoke isn't affecting him nearly as much as the overpowering scent of blood and death in the room is.

"I can't! I need to save all of those people!" Gon cries as the two pass him; he hasn't even stopped running.

"Idiot! You're going to get yourself killed!" Killua snarls, but makes no motion to stop Gon, instead continuing fire.

There's a young woman hiding under a table near the entrance, trembling in fear; tears streak down her face, already a mess of mascara. Gon spots her and flies towards her, dodging gunfire to duck under the table with her. "A-are you go-ing to help me?" she hiccups, terror clear in her wide eyes.

"Uh-huh!" Gon nods, beaming reassuringly. "Just hold onto my hand!" He grabs the woman's trembling hand and pulls her from out under the table. She loses her shoes as they run, but it barely matters as they weave and bob through the rows of slots.

As Gon approaches the second row, he feels a sudden sharp pain in his shoulder – it's searingly hot, and before he knows what's going on he's falling for the seventh time this night.

"G-ghhh…" he groans, struggling to look up at the woman he's trying to save. "K-keep going! Run to the back!" he manages to shout before the pain stops him short, and he whines helplessly into the carpet, paralyzed. If one of the shooters approaches, he's a goner.

He hears his heartbeat loud like thunder – or is that a gunman's footsteps? Thump. Thump. Thump. If he's going to die, he hopes it'll be quick; he's paralyzed, unable to fight back or even move.

A cold, metal cylinder presses against the side of his head. His eyes squeeze shut, tears pouring out silently.

A gunshot.

Gon realizes he isn't dead, and opens his eyes to see Kite standing over him, a long rifle still shoved into the ruined mouth of a gunman. "Gon, are you alright?" he asks, voice frenetic as he drops the rifle and picks Gon up. The boy cries out in pain as Kite comes into contact with his gunshot wound, which was still fresh and terribly sore. "Oh, they got you, huh? The ambulance is on the way, but from where it hit..." Kite looks him over carefully, gentler this time as he touches around the wound. "Nothing vital was damaged – you're lucky, Gon. Just a few centimeters to the right, and they'd have hit your spinal cord."

Kite holds Gon bridal style, hanging low under cover of the slot machines. The gunfire peters out and ceases as ambulance sirens roar in the distance; the shooters flee, leaving the ruined casino to gather itself back up and see to those injured and dead.

"…damn Chimera Ants. There hasn't been an attack in months," Kite sighs heavily.

Gon hazily looks up at the man holding him, vision swimming. "Kite..." Gon weakly murmurs; said man looks down at him, worried but with warmth evident in his face. The small boy grips the collar of Kite's dress shirt with his good arm and pulls him down to his level, craning his neck to meet Kite's lips with his own. This time, it's Kite whose eyes shoot open, caught by surprise at Gon's actions. Gon's own eyes are shut lightly as he tries to deepen the kiss as best he can.

He finally lets go of the older man, smiling feebly. "That...was an adult kiss, right?" he asks, his eyes opening ever so slightly. "I learned that from Hisoka. I wanted to try it on you."

Kite sputters, face bright red. "Y-you...wanted to try it on me?!" He turns his head away. Discussing this now is hardly appropriate – Gon's consciousness is fading fast, and his wound's started bleeding again.

He pops his head over the slots to see if it's clear for certain. It seems that way: the other employees are out inspecting the damage. Killua and Biscuit in particular look frantic as they sweep the wreckage, probably searching for Gon. Kite comes out from behind the neon slot machines and into their line of view.

Both Killua and Biscuit look horrified at the sight of Gon as they dash to meet the taller man. "Oi! Gon! Is he okay?" Gon's breaths are shallow and raspy, and when Killua looks at him it's as if he's seen a ghost. This is probably much worse, actually.

Kite reassures the two, "He just passed out from pain. The wound is practically harmless. It's in his shoulder – it didn't hit anything vital." Both seemed to have been holding their breath; at this, they let out matching sighs of relief.

The crunch of broken glass being ground down further reaches the trio as Hisoka quickly approaches, wild-eyed. "Gon! Are...is he alright? "

Kite's not sure how to respond to Hisoka – in all his years working here, he's never seen Hisoka show this much emotion towards anything. "He's alright – he fainted, but the bullet only nicked him, so it's only from pain. He's extremely lucky."

The owner quickly regained his composure, shaking off his nervous expression for a more neutral one. "I see. Take him out front, the ambulances have arrived. " He takes one last look at Gon's sleeping face before rushing away.

Killua and Biscuit offer to stay inside to help clear away the debris, and Kite makes his way towards the entrance, careful of the broken glass as he slowly carries Gon's unconscious body across the wreckage. Looking down at the boy's peaceful face, still spattered with blood and tears, Kite can't help but feel solemn. 'What a first day.'


	3. Put your Money where your Mouth is

Gon's hospital visit, brief as it is, is relatively calm. The visitors rotate from Hisoka, to Kite, to Biscuit and Killua, to Kurapika and Leorio; Mito's the only constant, as she's been by Gon's side since the second she'd been contacted about the shooting. The bullet was removed, but to make sure there aren't any complications, Gon's bound to the ward for an extra day.

His deep and drawn out breaths soothe Mito as she sits at his bedside, clutching her nephew's hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Gon. I knew it was a bad idea to let you go through with this..." She lets a few stray tears fall, emotions overwhelming her.

Gon's eyes flutter open, and he squeezes her hand back, trying to reassure her. "Mito-san, it's okay. I really love working there...I was just unlucky, is all. I'm fine, really..."

He tries to prop himself up in the hospital bed, but when Mito tries to restrain him it's not her scolding voice that reaches his ears: it's a smoother, much deeper one.

"Now, you should rest. I can't have you working in this condition. "

Gon sinks back into bed as he glances over at the doorway. The plain white walls look so unnatural around Hisoka's thin, colorful form.

Mito glances worriedly back and forth between the pair as Gon's face lights up. "Hisoka!" he calls happily, tempted to bolt forward and embrace him; the IVs connected to his forearm are the only things holding him back.

"This is...?" Mito questions, eyes concerned as she watches Gon.

"Mito-san, this is my boss, Hisoka!" Gon hums to himself as Hisoka walks to his bedside and kneels down beside him, his smile wide enough to crack his face in two as Mito releases his hand.

Hisoka turns smoothly to Mito, who still looks more than a little worried. "Your nephew has an extraordinary work ethic. Even on his first day, he risked his life to save the patrons inside. "

"He did? So the reason he was injured..."

"Was because he was willing to give up his life. "

Gon manages a nervous smile, nodding to his aunt.

"Gon...you were?!" Mito can't hold back anymore, and lets the hot tears fall; she's both proud of her nephew and horrified at his reckless lack of self-preservation. Sniveling, she tries to retain her composure, sobs wracking her body. "Just...please, Gon. Don't do that again. I'm begging you."

Gon smiles, offering his little finger to his aunt.

If I lie I have to swallow a thousand needles.

Sealed with a kiss.

Gon's been begging Mito to let him go back to work for at least two hours now; she hasn't yielded despite his best efforts to sway her, and at this point he's genuinely on his knees, teetering on the verge of tears.

"Please, Mito-san! I need to! I made a lot of friends there, and Hisoka is counting on me!"

The woman looks down at the boy groveling at her feet. Honestly, she shouldn't give in...

"...when there's another attack, you need to go straight to the back, you hear me? Don't try anything."

Gon looks up from the hardwood floor, eyes sparkling. "You mean I can go back?"

Come on, Mito. You can't give Gon what he wants this easily-

"Yes, now go on."

Damn it.

Gon practically flies to the reception desk when he makes it to the casino. The hot, mid-July air practically suffocated him on his walk there, but the promise of going back to work was enough to keep him going. Still panting, he jumps up to ring the bell, bouncing up and down with nervous excitement. This time, he would hopefully be able to wait on tables for real.

The door behind the counter opens with a loud, ear-piercing creak. "Back so soon? " a voice from over the counter inquires; Gon perks up, the haze of cigar smoke not seeming to bother him at all.

"Uh-huh! I'm ready to start for real this time!" he yaps, once again excited as a puppy.

Hisoka nods to him, opening the small door that leads to behind the counter. "Come on back and get changed. " Gon leaps through, swinging open the old cedar door with ease and bounding down the white hallway towards the changing area.

"Where do you think you're going? " Hisoka purrs, voice almost dangerous in the emptiness of the hall. Gon's heart skips a beat – maybe a few – and he stops dead in his tracks, breath heavy. Hisoka places a hand on his shoulder and gently turns him around; Gon squeezes his eyes shut, heart still stuttering like a broken record.

"You forgot your uniform. " Hisoka articulates with a small smile.

"Oh! Yeah, thank you!" Gon chirps, face still on fire from that ordeal. He turns around, pace quickening as his pulse slows back down again. His mind should go so south so fast.

Gon takes a breath of the hazy casino air, all ready to go in his uniform. He takes a few steps forward, but is quickly stopped by the voice of a certain white haired boy.

"Oi, newbie! Good to see you're still breathin'," Killua calls, springing over to Gon and shoving his good shoulder teasingly.

"Of course! Just a single bullet wouldn't take me down!" Gon jokes back as they weave their way through the crowd, headed towards the bar.

"I can't believe you got your aunt to let you back in here."

"Neither can I!"

"So, you're here for good now?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Good – it was getting kinda lonely around here." Killua playfully jabs Gon in the ribcage, earning a giggle that bubbles out from Gon's abdomen. They both hop up on bar stools to wait for orders to come in. "Waiting for people to start blowing money on drinks is the worst part," Killua sighs, slouching down in his seat and kicking his legs.

Gon takes this as an opportunity to scan the casino. The red and black carpet is relatively bright compared to the smoky edges of the rest of the room; the bright neon lights of the slots attempt to shine through, but are dimmed by the thick haze of cigar smoke that surrounds them. The building resounds with the din of people laughing and talking, shouting and singing; the light-and-sound shows that are the slot machines rattle and whir under the quiet hum of neon lights.

The entire place is enthralled in corruption and sin.

Yet Gon stays pure.

"Oh yeah, Hisoka wanted me to give you this." Killua lays a shining silver revolver out on the table and nudges it towards Gon. Gon picks it up, fascinated as he looks it over; it's the perfect size for him. "Oh yeah, and this." Killua thrusts a small holster with a black belt studded with diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs into Gon's view. Guess he has to keep up the dress code.

Gon secures the belt loosely around his abdomen; it slides down like it might be too big, but it's stopped by his hips. Killua gives him a thumbs-up. "Looks good on ya, newbie! Anyway- do you even know how to fire a gun?"  
Gon nods. "Of course! Mito-san told me it was essential that I knew how to defend myself!" Especially in a neighborhood as terrible as this one. He shoves the gun in the holster, feeling strangely powerful. Killua grins at him before slipping back into his regular bored expression.

A waitress approaches, her outfit seeming to have a bird motif; she smiles at the pair as she hands Killua a slip of paper. "This is for table 5 – the craps one."

"Alright, I'll get on that."

The waitress nods and heads back towards the tables. "Who was that?" Gon asks.

"That's Cluck – she's a waitress. She takes the orders, we deliver them. There are a bunch of others running around." Killua hops off the barstool and waves the slip of paper in Gon's face. "Let's hand this over to the bartender. He's creepy, though. Don't look at him directly. "

Gon's face twists in confusion, then horror, as he slips off his stool and nearly botches the landing.

The two of them head over to the bartender, who towers over not only the pair of them, but the bar. "Oi, here." Killua slips the paper to them, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

Gon looks up to see a person with a pure white masquerade mask on; their long black hair is done up in a bun, and they wear the same vest and slacks uniform that Killua's sporting. Gon feels despair wash over him at the sight of them, and quickly turns his gaze to his heels.

"Okay, just ring the bell when yer done," Killua finishes hastily, grabbing Gon's hand and dragging him away.

"He's creepy..." Gon whispers once they're out of earshot.

"Tell me about it. He never says a word. Hisoka chatters at him all the time, though."

"Weird..." Gon murmurs. Hisoka didn't strike him as that strange, sans the clown makeup and obsession with card suits.

"Best not to think about it," Killua mumbles in reply, climbing back up on the barstool.

Gon leans his elbows on the bar, eyes bright. "Ah, I forgot! Mito-san said we're going out for dinner after my shift is over! Are you doing anything special at home tonight, Killua?"

Killua closes his eyes and smiles, but there's a bittersweet edge to it. "Home, huh? I never want to go back there, so nah." Shaking his head like he's trying to rid himself of something, he adorns a toothy grin. "Nothing special!"

"Huh? Oh, so...are you living with someone else?"

"Nope. I live here," Killua says matter-of-factly.

"Really?"

"Yep."

A strange silence falls over the two of them as Gon watches his friend. He's never met anybody his age that's so...rebellious? Is that even the right word?

The silence is shattered – it was paper-thin, anyway – by the ringing of the bell. Killua nearly falls off the stool as he whirls around to face the bar. "Alright, thanks," he mumbles to the bartender's already-retreating form; turning back to Gon, he smirks and gestures to the tray. "You got this, newbie?"

Gon nods furiously and carefully slides the tray off the counter, balancing it on his open palm. He lets gravity slide him off the barstool, still keeping his balance. Walking forward, puffing his chest out, he focuses on the path ahead of him; Table 5 is a ways away, but with enough focus, he'll be able to pull it off.

The casino melts away so that he only sees the table. His eyes glaze over as he focuses on not falling on his face.

But as the casino fades, so do all the obstacles.

Bad idea, that.

Gon smacks into a man head on; the tray falls out of his hand as he stumbles and the floor rushes up to meet him. He feels his life flashing before his eyes – well, not really, but all that hard work at perfecting his walking in heels technique...

The man swoops down without missing a beat, catching Gon in one arm and the tray in the other hand. Gon blinks, trying to process what happened. The man looks down at him, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Are you alright?" he asks, voice smooth as silk.

Gon blinks a few more times, composure for the most part regained. "I-I'm okay! Thank yo-" Looking the man in the face for the first time, he's more than a little breathtaken. The man has the deepest gray eyes Gon's ever seen; a cross-like tattoo on his forehead is just visible under the line of his slicked-back black hair.

The man lets him go, and Gon stumbles a bit, brushing imaginary dust off his knees as he stares at his rescuer. He's accompanied by a blond boy, looking about 18, and a blonde woman; all three of them wear sharp-looking suits. "I believe this is yours," the man says simply, handing Gon the tray. Miraculously, nothing's spilled.

Gon rebalances the tray, nodding to the pair accompanying the man. "Thank you!" he says, and speed walks away, worries about balancing completely forgotten as he finally makes it to the table. He smiles at the patrons as he places the tray down. The men at the table smile back; Gon's a black hole of endearment.

Turning away, Gon heads back towards Killua to wait for more orders. As he approaches, he notices the trio he ran into previously leaning on the bar, the black-haired man engaged in intense conversation with Hisoka while his companions look on. Hisoka notices him and smirks, beckoning to him to come over. "Oh, Gon! Chrollo, this is Gon, one of our new waiters. "

Chrollo looks down at the boy, politely not mentioning their past encounter. "Hello, Gon." He gets down on one knee to look Gon in the eye, taking one of the boy's gloved hands and kissing it ever so lightly. Gon feels his face heat up as Chrollo straightens to face Hisoka again.

"This is the boy who took a bullet for a patron the other day, you know. "

Chrollo raises an eyebrow. "Is that so? You're exceptionally brave." His voice is almost melodic, entrancing Gon. The pair that accompanies him looks surprised, but both of them smile at him; Gon feels his chest swell up with pride.

Someone taps his shoulder, and he whirls around to see a girl with glasses and what looks like a dog motif to her outfit. Her green skirt sparkles in the light. "Excuse me. I have an order for Table 14 – the blackjack one down the way. Is that alright, Gon?" she asks, handing him the slip of paper without waiting for an answer.

"Oh, of course!" He nods, waving to Hisoka and Chrollo as he rushes back to the bar.

Killua smiles at him as he approaches. "That sure was lucky."

"Y-you saw?" Gon questions, embarrassed.

"Uh-huh. And that's not just anybody, either – that's Chrollo Lucifer, the leader of the Phantom Troupe! The two with him are members," Killua says, squinting at Gon a little smugly. "You're lucky you escaped with your life. I wouldn't tangle with the mafia if you paid me."

"The mafia?! Really?" Gon hops up and down, excited. "That's so cool!"

"Cool? Geez, you really are hopeless." Killua laughs as Gon hands him the slip of paper. "Alright, I'll get this to ya ASAP." He slides off the barstool, smoke enveloping his figure as he disappears behind the bar.


	4. Holding your Own

It's another restless night in the casino – the air's filled with cigar smoke and swing music, the tapping of feet mixing like cocktails with the scattered voices of people. The stage and the dance floor that stretches out in front of it it are surrounded with patrons rocking their hips to the beat of the band playing in the corner. Biske's the star for tonight, her singing voice something to behold; she grips the microphone passionately, not missing a beat as she executes a perfect twirl that makes her silver dress shimmer and twist in the low light.

Meanwhile, Gon stands on the outskirts of the throng, stunned. Friday nights were definitely something. The patrons as a whole had completely flooded the dance floor, leaving only a few drunken stragglers at the tables and bars. Sparkles fill the air from sequined dresses catching the light; the atmosphere feels an artificial sort of magical.

"What animals, huh?" He feels an elbow rest on his shoulder, and jumps; it's only Killua, though, and the two of them share a grin.

"Not really. I think it's really neat-looking!" Gon kind of wants a long dress like some of the patrons that move past him have on, but this outfit's fine too.

Killua raises an eyebrow, blue eyes rolling. "Geez, how lame can you possibly be, newbie?"

Gon pouts slightly. "I have a name, you know."

"Yeah, and until you've worked here for a while, it's 'newbie'."

Gon reaches to poke at Killua, but stops when he hears someone come up next to them. "You two, what are you doing here?"

Killua lets out an exaggerated sigh and turns to give the new speaker a pointed look. "What do you want, Kurapika?"

The blond comes to stand in front of them, hands on his hips. "Shouldn't you two being doing something?"

"We'd have something to do if the drunks would drag their asses off the dance floor and order somethin' already."

Kurapika sighs through his nose and levels a glare at Killua; his face softens when he looks at Gon, who's currently majorly spaced out. "I can give you two something to do. Gon, would you like to dance?"

Shooting up straight at the sound of his name, Gon dithers a little, confused. "Huh? I don't know how-"

"You'll be fine, just follow my lead," Kurapika reassures him, taking his arm gently. Killua winks and Gon, whose head is still swimming with the sights and sounds surrounding him, lets Kurapika lead him away.

The dance floor's alive with movement, the dancers' clothing blending together like watercolor in time with the music. Gon and Kurapika end up swept into the middle; Kurapika quickly clasps Gon's hand, taking the lead as the blaring swing music starts to play. Their feet move around the scuffed hardwood floor almost feverishly – Gon nearly stumbles over himself as his heels threaten to trip him up.

"See? This isn't so bad!" Kurapika shouts over the music, barely audible through the ringing in Gon's ears. Gon nods – he's a little overwhelmed, but he's starting to get the hang of this.

As the tempo picks up and the music slides into a frenzied crescendo, Kurapika smiles to himself. He takes Gon's hand and twirls him around almost effortlessly; Gon's eyes go wide as Kurapika pulls him back in and dips him almost to the floor.

Dazed, Gon tries to compute what just happened. "Alright, alright, we should get back to work now," Kurapika says with a warm smile, and Gon nods, head still spinning. Weaving and bobbing through the crowd, the two of them manage to get back to the edge of the dance floor; as soon as Gon steps on the carpet again, he feels a sharp smack on the small of his back.

"You did pretty good out there, newbie!" Killua jeers. Gon rubs his stinging back with a childish, pouty frown.

"Hey, that hurt!"

"Yeah, so? Builds character."

Kurapika puts a hand on both of their shoulders, effectively stopping the scuffle that was threatening to break out. "Quit that, you two. We should go back to our stations now." He turns to walk away, but stops abruptly and faces Gon again. "Oh, Gon- you did very well out there. I hope we can do this again sometime."

Killua sticks his tongue out at Kurapika and grabs Gon by the arm, dragging him back towards the bar.

"This blows. We're stuck here until they get off the dance floor," Killua whines as he climbs onto a barstool, Gon following closely behind.

"I don't mind! At least we aren't working!" Gon chirps, trying to raise the white-haired boy's spirit.

"I guess so," Killua mumbles, seeming put-off by Gon's good attitude.

A strange silence feel over the two. An almost hazy one.

"...Do you have any siblings?" Gon asks.

Killua flinches like someone punched him in the gut. "Yeah," he grunts, averting eye contact.

"So what are they like?"

"Oldest brother's a creep. My other brother is pretty okay. My youngest is nice, don't see him too much." Killua takes a breath. "My sister...she's the only one I really love." He smiles, but it's bittersweet.

"I don't have any siblings – I'm kinda jealous! I want to have a nice younger sister!" Gon barks, excited.

Killua looks over at him, blue eyes softer than usual. "Yeah, she's the only one I care about. Everybody else...not so much. I can't even get close to my little brother 'cause my mom's always hovering over him! How lame is that? I wanted to be his friend!" He sighs heavily. Letting out all this emotional baggage on Gon felt good, somehow.

Killua jolts at the sudden feeling of Gon's hand rubbing circles on his back. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he snaps, but Gon keeps rubbing him.

"Any time I was upset, Mito-san would always rub my back, and it made me feel better!"

"You're really weird," Killua murmurs. But, he had to admit, this was nice.

Gon just hums in response, rubbing Killua's back soothingly. A warm atmosphere fell over the pair, but it didn't feel like the same heat coming from the overwhelming haze of cigar smoke. A warmth. Something comforting.

A familiar figure darted across Gon's peripheral vision, and he whips around to catch who it is. It's that man again - Chrollo, was it? Gon nearly leaps out of his chair to go after him, but feels something tug sharply at his neck, hard enough to him gag. Killua had snatched his collar, roughly yanking him back.

"Idiot! Just because he spared you one time doesn't mean he's going to let you live again!"

Gon coughed, before rubbing his throat in pain. "But..."

"Nope. Forget it."

Gon lets out a choked whine before peering after Chrollo. He's standing in Hisoka's office; Gon doesn't remember ever seeing the door open before, but he can see into it perfectly now, and both Chrollo and Hisoka seem awfully distracted.

Killua smirks. "You in the mood for some espionage?" he asks slyly. Gon tilts his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we sneak in Hisoka's office through the vents. Those two go in there to discuss private things – we might find out somethin' useful!"

"Useful?"

"Yeah! I mean – it wouldn't hurt."

Gon's skeptical. What good could spying on Hisoka do? Nevertheless, he nods his head in agreement.

Killua hops down from his stool and stretches. "Alright! Let's get a move on." He windmills his arms as Gon follows him down.

The two of them wind through rows of machines to a place far away from the regular bounce and swing of the casino. Gon's ears are still ringing as he kneels next to Killua by the air vents.

"Okay, I think this is the one. The bolts are loose around the edges." Killua tugs on the metal square, and lo and behold, it comes undone. He gingerly places the cover to the side and waves for Gon to go on ahead. Gon nods before getting on all fours and wiggling inside of the narrow entrance. The vents themselves were actually very spacious; Gon can comfortably shimmy through them. Killua follows closely behind, every so often telling him where to turn. The tight corridor of the air vent was confining and made Gon a bit nervous, but he enjoyed being able to traverse around the large building up in the vents.

"Here, see? Look down, there's Hisoka's office."

Gon peers down at Killua's command; Hisoka and Chrollo were clearly visible in the room below. Both boys were dead silent as the two older men discussed something in low voices.

"...the attacks have been getting more violent. Could it be?"

Hisoka nods solemly. "Indeed. They could be planning to do a full-scale takeover. "

"I don't think the Troupe and I could handle that alone, honestly. With the way their gang's been growing, we'll fall quickly."

"Hmm? That would be interesting to watch. "

"Hardly. It would be terribly one-sided with all of their troops."

"We could always call in some favors. "

"The police force?" Chrollo taps his chin. "That's definitely an option."

"We've got other forces, too...including that boy you've taken a liking to. "

Chrollo smiles warmly at the mention of Gon. "You've noticed, huh? I suppose I have. That boy has this charm radiating off of him."

"I know what you mean. "

This time, the silence between them was almost warm. When Chrollo finally shakes his head, the mood grows cold once again. "So. Will you handle the favors? I'll take a few members to the ants' nests down the road. Are you and your soldiers up for taking down the King?"

"Soldiers? Why, of course. I see a lot of potential in all of them. "

"Alright. Contact me once you find it fit to run the invasion."

"Don't you worry, I won't do it for a while. "

Chrollo smiles sorrowfully, a trace of fear flashing briefly across his face as he leaves the room.

"Okay, let's move," Killua whispers sharply, and Gon snaps out of his trace. The two of them turn around, crawling quickly through the tight air vents, the smell of metal almost choking the pair. The usual din of voices enters their range of hearing; Gon looks down at the grating below him, watching the people moving down on the floor. "C'mon, Gon we gotta hur-"

Crack.

The vents bend. The grate below Gon was about to fall.

"Gon!"

BANG.

Before Gon knows what's happening, he's freefalling from 30 feet up – the vent broke under him. He's survived falls worse than this, but if he lands on a patron…

Some screams cut the air as he falls; Gon stares up at the vents, watching Killua's horrified face grow smaller and smaller. He feels like he's moving underwater; the smoke of the casino envelopes his small figure as he falls. He closes his eyes, awaiting impact, allowing the smoke to consume him.

He's just about to hit the ground. He can already feel the shock of pain up his spine.

His eyes shoot open as he feels a pair of arms under him, swinging down to absorb the shock of his fall. Shocked, he looks up into the face of his savior – Chrollo, of all people, is the one smiling down at him. People's hollering laughter and applause overwhelm Gon as blood rushes to his face.

"Well, hello, Gon."

"H-Hello!"

Chrollo chuckles slighly to himself. "It seems you've fallen for me."

Gon's temperature rises to critical levels. That was so smooth it struck fear into his heart.

As the pair stare into each other's eyes, Killua came crashing down next to them. Neither spare a glance at him as he leaps up, angrily declaring "I could have died!" Instead, the two of them sit in silence, gazing at each other like lovestruck school girls.

"Should I let you down?"

"No! I'm fine here!"

Hisoka appears next to Chrollo, seemingly out of thin air. "Ah, it looks like you saved my little waiter. "

Gon's face can't get any redder. Chrollo slowly lets the boy down, and he totters to Hisoka's side; the older man grabs his hand and squeezes it, almost comfortingly. Gon's heart beats a mile a minute, surging with a typhoon of confusing, red-hot feelings.

He feels a sharp tug at his ear, and is forcibly dragged backwards. Hisoka releases his hand, looking back at him as he's being pulled away.

"You IDIOT!" Killua hisses, furious. "We almost got caught! Let's just hope they assume that we were exploring."

Gon's brain is still struggling to process what just happened; he can only nod blindly as Killua shoves him back behind the bar and the smoky air of the casino consumes him.


End file.
